We Can Make The World Stop
by Kromatick
Summary: One-shot about two Runners from Group B and their time in the Maze.


**A/N: So, this is the first piece of writing I've done in about a year, and the first piece ever for the Maze Runner. It's been a while since I read the books, or seen the movies, so apologies if a few details are a bit hazy. Anyway, this story is going to be a one-shot, unless there's some interest in it, in which case I may continue on. This is just the same story as the Maze Runner, just from a different perspective.  
Thank you for reading, and if you like it, hate it, whatever, feel free to leave a review and tell me why. **

* * *

As Anna woke up, she slowly opened her eyes to the grey light of morning. A quiet groan escaped her she moved her limbs slightly to wake them up. With a quick yawn and a stretch, she managed to sit herself up in the hammock that she'd fallen asleep in. She trailed her hands down her face before taking a look around her home, the Glade. Sure enough, it looked the exact same as it always did: grassy, and surrounded by giant, stone walls that were overgrown with vegetation. If there had been no walls, the area may have looked a bit more beautiful. Anna swung her legs over the side of the hammock and into her running shoes, while mentally preparing herself for the day ahead.

Every single girl in the Glade had to work in some form or another. This not only kept everyone busy, but kept the place functioning. There were only three, very simple rules within the Glade. Firstly, everyone does their part. Secondly, never harm another Glader, and finally, never go outside the Glade, unless, like Anna, you were a Runner. These were the only Gladers that were allowed to go beyond the confines of the Glade, and into the Maze. They ran through it every single day, completely mapping out one section of the Maze. Anna was picked to be a Runner simply because she was agile enough, and also because she wanted to be one in the first place.

Anna got up and started getting her stuff together, pulling on the backpack and the leather strips that she always wrapped around her wrists as makeshift arm warmers. Anna secretly enjoyed being up this early. A silence hung over the Glade, which brought with it a sense of calm. Only the Runners, as well as a small number of other Gladers, hung about, getting ready for the day. Anna looked around for her closest friend and running partner, Leah. When she couldn't see her, she sighed and realised that she was most likely still asleep. She then marched over to where she knew Leah slept. She moved quietly, not wanting to disturb the other sleeping Gladers.

Sure enough, the black-haired girl was still fast asleep in her hammock when Anna arrived. She stood over Leah, her own chestnut brown hair hanging over her face. Anna began gently poking Leah's face while whispering, "Leeeaaaaah. Get up. We have runnin' to do."

Leah didn't open her eyes, but she raised a hand and quickly grabbed Anna's wrist before she could poke her again. "If you poke me one more time, you're gonna regret it," she said sleepily.

Anna pulled her hand away and rolled her eyes. "Get up then," she replied sternly, yet with a smile on her face. "I'll see you at the East Door in ten minutes."

The Door had not yet opened, so Anna stood leaning against the wall beside it, her arms folded. To her right stood Sonya, the co-leader of the whole group. She had joined Anna during the brief walk over to the door to see her off, like she did every single morning. For a while, neither of them said anything as they watched over the Glade, the area still bathed in a dull, grey light. Most of the other Gladers were still asleep, apart from the other Runners who were getting prepared and making their way to the rest of the Doors.

"Odds of finding something new out there has gotta be pretty slim by now, huh?" Sonya asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It's the same thing, different day. Every day," Anna said with a sigh, continuing to stare out over the Glade. The Maze had long since been fully mapped out, and they hadn't found a way out. The only reason they didn't tell the other Gladers this because they didn't want them to lose hope of escaping.

Sonya turned around and looked at the wall Anna was leaning against. It was the same wall that every girl in the Glade had etched their names into. There must have been around thirty names on the wall at this point. The few names of the deceased had been crossed out after their deaths.

"We've already lost too many girls to this place…" Sonya trailed off, tapping a finger against one of the crossed out names.

"I know," was all Anna cared to reply. She was tasked with exploring the Maze and finding a way out, and so every single time a girl in the group died, Anna could not help but feel as though it was partially her fault. She took a quick look at the wall of names and wondered if, one day, that's how she herself would be remembered; nothing more than a crossed off name etched into a decaying stone wall.

The two of them fell back into silence, which was eventually ended by Leah's arrival. The girl was dressed in a very similar outfit to Anna and had identical equipment, including the large machete holstered across her back. Leah had a faint smile on her face as she walked up to Anna and Sonya, nodding at the both of them. However, just as Leah opened her mouth to speak, there was a loud grinding noise, followed by a low rumble as the Door began to slowly open. The three girls watched as the walls slowly parted, revealing the overgrown, concrete Maze. When Anna had first arrived in the Glade, the Maze terrified her. The very thought of running out into those seemingly endless, twisting corridors quickly became a fear. But, as time passed, she grew used to looking out into the mysterious Maze. The more she looked into the Maze, and watched the Runners coming and going, the less scared she became. And so, gradually, fear gave way to curiosity. Now, here she was, ready to run the all too familiar halls of the Maze once again, alongside the person she was closest to in this new life.

The rumbling noise finally ended with a loud crash of stone hitting stone as the Maze doors finished opening. They would stay open until dusk of that day and then close again for the night. It was in Anna and Leah's best interests to be back by then, otherwise they would be stuck in the Maze with the Grievers all night.

"Alright, I guess I'll leave you to it," Sonya said to the both of them, taking a few backwards steps.

"Yeah. See ya later, Sonya," said Leah, turning her head to nod at Sonya.

When Leah looked back at the Maze, she saw that Anna had already begun sprinting and was almost halfway down the first corridor. "Oh, for-" Leah groaned, before taking off running, leaving a smirking Sonya behind.

It took Leah about twenty seconds to catch up to Anna, taking a left and two right turns in the process. As soon as she had caught up, she punched Anna in the right shoulder, almost throwing the girl off balance. "Thanks for waiting," Leah growled.

This earned Leah a quick laugh and a wry grin from Anna. "Try and keep up." Her words came out quick and forced as she was trying to save her breath.

On they went, taking corner after corner or running down long corridors as they made their way through the seemingly endless halls of the Maze. The light of dawn began to pour into the Maze, lighting the place up a bright orange. More than a few times, the girls had to momentarily shield their eyes against the harsh glare of the sun. The vines, which were hanging high up between opposite walls, cast an intricate tangle of shadows onto the floor of the Maze. After a while, Anna began to hack some of the vines of the walls of the Maze using her machete. One of them usually did this to mark out the way they had come, just in case they got lost at any point. They carried on this way for hours, only taking breaks to catch their breath, take a drink, or map out some more of the Maze.

* * *

Finally, after hours of running, the two girls needed a break. They had made it to the outer section of the Maze, a wide open area containing only a few large, stone pillars. It was a huge contrast from the enclosed corridors of the inner sections. Anna glanced up at the glaring sun, checking its position in the sky. It looked like it would begin to set rather soon.

"…Lunch?" Leah asked. She was breathing heavily, and her voice was echoing off into the open space.

"Yeah," Anna gasped, feeling as though her lungs were going to burst. Still, it was a sensation that she as oddly used to.

Anna threw off her backpack and sat down on the floor of the Maze, in the shade of one of the stone pillars. Leah then joined her in sitting, already gulping down a large bottle of water.

"Don't drink it all at once," Anna warmed, rooting around in her backpack for some food. She pulled out one of the sandwiches that the cooks made for the Runners every day. Anna didn't even stop to check what was in it, she simply stuffed it in her mouth and enjoyed the burst of flavour. After a long day of running, it was the little things that made a huge difference.

Meanwhile, Leah had heeded Anna's warning and stopped drinking, saving about a third of the bottle for the way back. A small stream of water which had missed Leah's mouth was flowing down her chin and onto her shirt, but she didn't seem to care. She then delved into her backpack for something to eat.

"I think this has gotta be my favourite time of the day," Leah said happily, "Actually, no, I think goin' to bed is. Whatever, this is definitely up there."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Speakin' of which, we should be havin' a party tonight, right?" she asked, "What with a new Greenie coming up tomorrow and all. Won't matter what supplies we use up because we'll only be getting more tomorrow."

"I really hope so," Leah replied, after swallowing down a mouthful of her sandwich. "It's been a while since we've had any kinda party or celebration."

"That's because there's never anything worth celebrating. The only time we'll ever really celebrate is if we ever get the hell out of this damn Maze," Anna sighed.

"We _will _get out," Leah reassured her, leaning into Anna slightly. "And I won't stop runnin' until we do. And I know you won't either."

This forced a smile onto Anna face and she turned her head to look at Leah. "You're right. We can't afford to think negative."

As Anna watched Leah, it made her think of all the things they had been through together. When Anna came up in the Box, Leah had been the Greenie, having been sent up the month before, and so the two of them became friends almost instantly. It had been almost two years since that day, and no matter how hard Anna wished she could, she would never forget that first day in the Glade. Waking up in complete darkness in that horrific Box, being terrified and confused, and not even able to remember her own name. It was almost too much for her to handle. She recalled it taking about three days just to remember her name, during which time she was known only as Greenie, and that didn't help her situation in the slightest. She remembered seeing the other Gladers for the first time, standing over her as she cowered in the Box. Most of the girls laughed, some made nasty remarks. But then there was Leah, who stood looking down at Anna, not laughing or saying anything, but having a look of concern on her face. As soon as their eyes met, Anna felt a fleeting sense of comfort, and instantly knew that this was someone that she wanted to be close to.

* * *

Anna and Leah dragged their break out for as long as they could. Their job was more or less done, so neither of them were in a hurry to get back out there. They had finished off their food and they were just about out of water. The blue sky above them was slowly transitioning into a bright orange. They still sat with their backs against the concrete pillar. They had spent the last half an hour talking and mindlessly throwing small pebbles.

Anna took a long look at the sky. "We should probably start heading back. It'll be dark soon," she sighed. She then stood up and brushed some dust off her trousers before offering her hand out to Leah.

Leah took Anna's hand and she was helped to her feet. "Good idea, let's get the hell out of here."

The girls grabbed their backpacks off the ground and put them back on. They each quickly stretched their limbs before setting off. They headed back the same way they came, more or less. Their memories served them well for the most part, and before long they were back within the inner section of the maze. Once they reached the tight corridors, which were now bathed in the dull orange of dusk, they slowed down to a jog. The doors would be closing soon, but they figured they'd easily make it back before then.

The sky began to darken as they came closer and closer to the Glade, both of them more or less running on fumes at this point. '_Only a few more corners left…_' Anna thought to herself.

And that's when they heard it. The unmistakeable, chilling shriek of a Griever. And close by.

The girls skidded to a halt, frozen in fear and not quite wanting to believe their ears. They exchanged terrified glances, Anna's usual calm and collected façade being pierced by terror. Anna quickly pressed herself against the wall of the Maze, right next to a corner, and pulled Leah in beside her. Anna put a finger to her lips, prompting Leah to cover her mouth with a hand to stop her shaky breathing. Anna listened as closely as she could, trying to mentally block out the sound of her racing heart. A few seconds later, the Griever shrieked once again. This time closer, and still impossible to tell from which direction it was coming from.

Anna motioned for Leah to continue on down the corridor, sticking to the same route they were planning on taking anyway. Leah moved along slowly, hugging the wall of the Maze, with Anna doing the same only a step behind her. They soon reached a crossroad, where Anna took point and quickly scanned the three corridors for the Griever, even checking over her shoulder just in case. With no Griever in sight, Anna slowly stepped out into the centre of the crossroad. Then, just as Anna was about to give Leah the all-clear, she spotted the Griever. The half-monster, half-machine abomination was lumbering into view from around a corner of a T-junction straight ahead of them, no more than thirty metres away.

Anna spun around and grabbed Leah, throwing her into the corridor to their left, then quickly stepped out of view of the Griever. She had no idea if the Griever had seen them or not, she'd just have to wait and find out. Again, she listened to find out which way the Griever would be heading. This time she could hear the haunting sounds made by the creature when it moved. A whirring sound, abruptly followed by the sharp clang of metal on stone. These sounds went on for a few seconds, then stopped. Anna briefly looked at Leah, who was nervously looking over her shoulder every few moments. Anna felt bad for her friend, and wanted nothing more than to just give her a comforting hug. But no, there'd be time for that later. She hoped.

About a full, nerve-racking minute later, the sounds of the moving Griever continued, this time seeming to becoming quieter.

"Okay, we're just gonna have to make a break for it," Anna whispered to Leah, as quietly as she could.

A look of faint confusion crossed Leah's face as she whispered back. "We can't! If that thing follows us back to the Glade, who knows what kind of damage it could do?"

"Then what the hell do you suggest?" Anna fired back angrily.

"I… I don't know, maybe we could… lead it to-"

Anna's anger and fear briefly took hold of her, and she interrupted Leah by grabbing the girl by the shirt and shoving her hard into the wall. "Listen to me, I am not dying in this damn Maze!" Anna hissed, "But if you wanna go play cat and mouse with that thing until the Doors close, that's your business. Don't make it mine."

Leah glared at Anna before pushing the other girl off her. "If that thing makes it into the Glade, there's gonna be a lot of blood on your hands, not to mention the fact that they'll banish you as soon as they can, and you'll end up right back here!" Leah argued, resisting the urge to shout at her friend instead of whisper.

Before Anna could reply to this, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Turned her head quickly to the right, she saw the Griever mere milliseconds before it saw her. The creature was far too close for Anna's liking. It let out another roar before making its way over to the two girls. And fast.

"Go!" Anna shouted to Leah, and they both started running. They headed straight down the corridor which the Griever had originally come from, knowing well that this was the way to the Glade. They had just reached the end of that corridor and had begun to turn the corner when the Griever arrived at the crossroad. They had a big enough lead on the Griever, but the creature was gradually gaining speed, closing that gap with each passing second.

Anna and Leah were running faster than they ever had in their lives, the adrenalin racing through their bodies giving them an extra edge. They could both hear the Griever bounding along behind them, but neither dared to spare a backwards glance. They were now only a few corners away from the Glade, and Anna had a decision to make. They reached another T-junction. If they took a left here, they'd be only one more corner away from the final corridor that led directly into the Glade. However, when they reached the turn, Leah went left while Anna went right.

Both girls stopped running and turned around to face each other. Before Leah had a chance to run back across and join Anna, the Griever, momentarily confused as to who to follow, slammed into the wall between the two of them. It recovered almost instantly, and then turned to focus on Anna, which is exactly what she wanted. Anna pulled out her machete and moved backwards as the Griever advanced towards her.

"Get to the Glade!" Anna shouted across to Leah, while dodging swipes from the Griever's metal limbs. "Warn them!"

Leah's heart sank. This was the toughest decision she could have possibly been asked to make. Every inch of her wanted to stay and help her friend, yet there was a voice at the back of her mind, pointing out that if she didn't get back to the Glade now, far more than one person would die. With a heavy heart, Leah turned and ran off, disappearing from view.

Anna continued dodging the Griever's attacks, and hacking at the metal limbs whenever she got the chance. She didn't seem to be doing much damage, if any, and the creature looked like it was only becoming angrier. Finally, one swipe from the Griever knocked the machete out of Anna's hands, nearly breaking her wrist in the process. The knife sailed out of reach. Defenceless, Anna turned and took off running once again.

The Griever missed a grab from its tail, giving Anna a few crucial seconds to get ahead of it. She took a sudden right, nearly crashing into the wall, and headed down a straight corridor. She knew she'd never outrun the thing in a straight line, so before the thing could get too close, she took another right. Then another. She was back running down the same corridor she did with Leah not two minutes ago, though now she was on her own. She was just about to take the same left Leah had, when suddenly the Griever made another grab for her with its tail, but this time she felt the metallic grip close around her body.

The creature held Anna against the wall and lifted her up about a metre off the ground. The Griever put its face right next to Anna's and roared, causing Anna to turn her head away. Then, a syringe extended out from the Griever's tail, the needle of which was just centimetres from Anna's body. She knew exactly what it was, and if that needle touched her, it'd be all over. Still, there wasn't much she could do at this point. She closed her eyes, preferring the dark over the horrific sight in front of her.

Suddenly, the Griever let out what sounded like a cry of pain. Anna felt the grip around her loosen until she fell to the ground. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the Griever stumbling backwards, a machete buried deep into the area near its neck. And that's when she saw Leah, making frantic gestures and screaming at Anna to get up and run. Leah had thrown her machete, and it had saved Anna's life. With the dwindling supply of energy she had left, Anna scrambled to her feet and ran towards Leah. They both took off, running the final stretch to the safety of the Glade. Meanwhile, the Griever had recovered enough to chase after them again. Just as they rounded the last corner to the Maze, they heard that familiar grinding sound. The Doors were closing.

The Glade came into view, and Anna could just make out around thirty or so girls standing at the entrance, weapons at the ready. Leah had done what Anna told her to do, and warned them. But the doors were sliding shut now, and it was a fair distance away. Fully aware of the Griever right behind them, the pair sprinted for the door as fast as they could. The gap between the Doors was only getting narrower and narrower, with more of the Glade disappearing from view. The closer Anna and Leah got, the louder the shouts from the girls in the Glade became. Anna had no idea what they were saying, it didn't matter. When the two of them reached the Door, the gap between the walls was just under a metre wide. Anna desperately shoved Leah through the gap and the girl stumbled through into the Glade. The gap Anna had to fit through was only about half a metre wide. She hugged the wall and shuffled sideways through the slim gap. There was no way the Griever could follow, but that didn't stop it from trying to swipe at Anna through the small gap with one of its metal limbs. Just when Anna thought she was about to be crushed by the closing walls, she burst out into the Glade, collapsing onto the grass. She looked back to see the Griever retracting its metal limb before the Doors finally slammed shut.

A shocked silence fell over the Glade. Anna lay on the ground, her heart still racing and breath coming fast. Leah appeared and crouched next to Anna. The two stared at each other, their facial expressions saying everything.

Then, Anna and Leah burst out into elated and relieved laughter.


End file.
